The present compilation, as its title indicates, seeks to present the manifestation, in practical terms, of the vision of a resurgent and reorganised national life that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has in view. The compilation is intended to indicate the complementarily which exists between the philosophical doctrines of the Sangh and their application in real life. Whereas the former aspect is by now fairly well known, public awareness of the latter is far less.

The real touchstone of ideological commitment of any organisation lies in its capacity to motivate the workers to imbibe its thoughts and values in their lives and bring about a corresponding transformation in the lives of the people. The emphasis of Sangh on 'man-moulding' stems precisely from this basic approach. Its technique, its programmes, its thoughts - each of these is focused on making 'man', the 'Swayamsevak', the chief instrument of national transformation.

The living model that provided the necessary vision, inspiration and guidance to the Swayamsevaks to mould their lives was that of the founder, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar himself. And Dr. Hedgewar himself had chiselled his life-image as a shining embodiment of the mission he had initiated through the Sangh.

The sheer magnitude and variety of activities of lakhs of Swayamsevaks who are daily trained in over 20,000 places all over the country can only be imagined. As such, the present compilation can at best be merely illustrative. Except a few typical incidents of all-India significance, the rest are compressed to a bare minimum so as merely to indicate their unique and salient features.

Another important point needs to be clarified in this context. The incidents or their impact mentioned herein pertain chiefly to the experiences of workers serving through various organisations founded by Swayamsevaks But there are also literally thousands of Swayamsevaks spread throughout the country who have been individually carrying on similar activities and bringing about similar changes in their environment, in a myriad fields. However, whichever their field of work, their individual experiences are no less revealing and the impact no less impressive. It is obvious that compilation of accounts of all such individual efforts of Swayamsevaks would be hardly feasible within a reasonable compass.

The present compilation can therefore mirror but a fraction of the overall impact the Sangh has had on the society. The intense love and confidence that the very name RSS invokes in the hearts of millions is sufficient evidence of the decisive influence of the diverse activities of Swayamsevaks - individually as well as collectively - on the nation's psyche.

All the same, it is hoped that the directions of National Renaissance indicated herein will present, albeit in a miniature form, the picture, vibrant with life, of the Hindu Rashtra visualized by the Sangh. Such a picture will doubtless enable the new generations of Swayamsevaks to further expand the horizons of the all-encompassing national role they are expected to play. There are any number of feeling hearts and ready hands in society outside the fold of the Sangh who would gladly come forward to offer their very best in the pursuit of this mission. To them also, the book might well open up a panorama of diverse fields of service.

The discerning readers would be able to observe a somewhat peculiar feature of this compilation. There are no names - barring a few - of the workers who have pioneered these efforts. The reason is obvious: the names run into thousands, and to select from among them is well-nigh impossible. Moreover, the workers shun publicity and are content to work silently. However, propriety demanded that a few prominent names of those who have passed into history and of certain well-known all-India personalities be mentioned. Names or no names, the achievements and experiences of workers is what matters. After all, a worker's worth is to be measured from the work he turns out. It is such work that is highlighted here.

It is with confidence that we look forward to a perceptive response from the enlightened public to this humble effort of ours. At the same time. I must express my apprehension that a number of important and interesting incidents and experiences might have eluded the compilers of the present volume. The style of RSS work being of a silent nature availability of documented accounts of such endeavours is indeed scarce. But it is of some satisfaction that whatever is presented here is quite authentic, vouchsafed to by someone who was personally involved or has personally verified the same.

My deep-felt thanks are due to all those innumerable friends who have taken pains to respond to our request to send useful material for this compilation. However, all the material that was sent by them could not be incorporated, for reasons of brevity. The mass of material had to be sifted and only certain portions included. It is quite possible that some relevant details might have been left out for which I seek their indulgence.

I am only too well aware of the painstaking manner in which our seniors and colleagues in Sangh like Sarva Shri Yadavrao Joshi, Rajendra Singh, K.S. Sudarshan, K. Suryanarayana Rao Dattopant Thengadi, Bhausaheb Bhuskute and P. Parameshwaran have scrutinised the entire manuscript and offered very valuable suggestions—without which this compilation could not have taken the present shape. I am deeply beholden to all of them.

The labour of love put in for weeks on end by Sarva Shri S. R. Ramaswamy, Chief Editor, Utthana, Kannada monthly, Bangalore, S. S. Mahadevan of Madras, K. R. Rajagopal K. S. Nagaraj and J. Raghunath Bhat has been of inestimable help in processing the vast bulk of material received from scores of sources. I also offer my grateful thanks to Shri M. C. Jayadeva, Executive Secretary, Rashtrotthana Parishat, for making all necessary arrangements for the preparation of the manuscript and for facilitating the publication. M/s. Rashtrotthana Mudranalaya and M/s. Type Shop of Bangalore deserve our thanks for their diligent efforts in ensuring quality printing and attractive get-up of the book and producing it in record time.

My special thanks are due to Jagarana Prakashana of Bangalore, known for its publications on subjects of vital national concern, for having taken up the publication of this volume.

I appeal to the readers to pass on suggestions, if any, as also other authentic material, so that the future compilations could be made more comprehensive.

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